Gifts and Family
by AndyHood
Summary: As Rocky watches Adonis warm-up he remembers a conversation that he had with his own trainer long ago. And decides to pass on a memento. Basically a scene that I thought would be perfect in the Creed movie.


Rocky watched Adonis warm up. He could see it in the way he moved that he was excited for the fight. It reminded the Italian Stallion of a similar scene so long ago

Rocky saw what he was sure that Mickey saw in him so long ago. It didn't matter how many muscles a fighter had. All that mattered was his heart, and if he was willing to take the punches. Rocky remembered the gift Mickey had given him when the old trainer showed just how much faith head had in him, Rocky Maricano cufflink.

Rocky fingered the chain he had in his pocket. He had given this necklace to his son a long time ago. But like everything else, his son had left it in Philadelphia.

Rocky had found the necklace in a bunch of junk that his kid had thrown away when he moved out of the house. Their relationship had been on rocky ground, Andrian had been dead only a few months at that time. Rocky had never mentioned that he had found it, and his son had never mentioned what became of the necklace. He loved his son to death, and wished that they were closer than they were. But Rocky had come to the painful truth years ago. His son did not need his old man. Not like he used to. The price of living in Rocky's shadow. The kid wanted to strike out and be his own person.

For a while Philadelphia had been enough, and he made peace with the fact of who he was after the Dixon fight. But in the end he had went back to believing that Rocky was holding him back. And now Rocky was alone and afraid of getting close to someone, until Adonis.

Rocky had tried to push Adonis away. Had to because he was afraid of another person he cared about leaving him. What Mickey said so long ago was true, a person only lost and lost, until a person questioned why they were still living. Finding out he had cancer seemed to be a sign to him, that it was finally time to go on. To be reunited with all his loved ones, Adrian, Polly, Mickey, and Apollo only to name a few. But he had failed to realize that he had something worth living for. Someone who needed him, Adonis was the reason for him to go on. Rocky had almost lost him that night when he said they were not family

He had shaken Adonis's faith in him and though they had come back from that. Rocky still felt that he needed to make it somehow to Adonis. He fingered the chain once more and watched as Adonis paused in his warm-up. Rocky new this was his chance.

"Ah come here Adonis, My God you're ready ain't ya?"

" _ **Ah come here Rock. My God, you're ready ain't ya?"**_

"That Pretty won't know what hit him."

" _ **That Apollo won't know what hit him."**_

"You're gonna roll over him like a bulldozer, a Creed bulldozer"

" _ **You're gonna roll over him like a bulldozer, an Italian bulldozer."**_

"Thanks Rocky" smiled Adonis. Rocky returned it.

"You know kid, I know how you feel about this fight that's comin up. Cause I was young once, too"

 _ **You know kid, I know how you feel about this fight that's comin' up. 'Cause I was young once, too.**_

"And I'll tell you something. Well, if you wasn't here I probably wouldn't be alive today."

 _ **And I'll tell you somethin'. Well, if you wasn't here I probably wouldn't be alive today.**_

It was true, without Adonis, Rocky would have given up. He wouldn't be fighting for his life like he was now if it wasn't for Adonis. Adonis opened his mouth to reply, but Rocky continued before he could say anything.

"That fact that you're here and doing as well as you're doing gives me motivation. To stay alive, 'cause I think that people die sometimes when they don't wanna live no more. Little by little we lose our friends, we lose everything. We keep losin' and losin' till we say you know, 'Oh what the hell am I livin around here for? I got no reason to go on.' That is how I thought when I first found out about this cancer."

 _ **The fact that you're here and doin' as well as you're doin' gives me-what do you call it-motivization? Huh? To stay alive, 'cause I think that people die sometimes when they don't wanna live no more. And nature is smarter than people think. Little by little we lose our friends, we lose everything. We keep losin' and losin' till we say you know, 'Oh what the hell am I livin' around here for? I got no reason to go on.'**_

"But with you kid, boy, I got a reason to go on. And I'm gonna stay alive and I will watch you make good…and I'll never leave you until that happens. 'Cause when I leave you you'll not only know how to fight, you'll be able to take care of yourself outside the ring too, is that okay?"

 _ **But with you kid, boy, I got a reason to go on. And I'm gonna stay alive and I will watch you make good... and I'll never leave you until that happens. 'Cause when I leave you you'll not only know how to fight, you'll be able to take care of yourself outside the ring too, is that okay?"**_

"That's okay Old Man" smiled Adonis softly.

Rocky smiled, and drew out the chain he had been fingering. "I have something for you, a little gift for you that was given to me by my trainer Mickey. It's my favorite thing that I have on this Earth. He told me that Rocky Maricano gave it to him. It's his cufflink, and he told me that it was like an angel on my shoulder. And if I ever got hurt this little angel would whisper in my ear saying, 'Get up you son of a bitch 'cause Mickey loves you'."

Rocky took off the golden glove that he had worn for most of his life and held it out to Adonis.

"I can't take that Rocky"

"I want you to have it" said Rocky, holding it out for Adonis to take. "I'll tell you the same thing that Mickey told me so long ago. It's gonna be like a, like an angel on your shoulder see? If you ever get hurt and you feel that you're goin' down this little angel is gonna whisper in your ear. It's gonna say..."Get up you son of a bitch, because Rocky loves you" said Rocky fondly.

"Wow" said Adonis, taking the necklace he carefully placed it around his own neck.

Rocky smiled as he saw the gratitude that shone in Adonis's eyes he looked back at the old fighter. He had denied that they were family. But in his heart, Rocky truly did feel like Adonis was like a nephew to him. A part of him couldn't help but wonder how the past might have been if Apollo hadn't been killed in the ring.

"Even if I beat this cancer kid, I'm not going to be around forever. This will be a little bit of me that you can carry on, to remember when you an old fighter like me and some kid comes around asking to be trained by the great Adonis Johnston Creed himself. And you will see the same spark that I see in you, the same spark old Mick saw in me. And maybe you can pass this on to that kid. Also maybe it will bring you luck. He gave that to me before my fight with Apollo."

Adonis didn't know what to say. This necklace was priceless and he couldn't believe that Rocky was giving it to him. He did the only thing he could think of, he wrapped his arms around the old fighter.

"Love you Rocky" whispered Adonis into Rocky's shoulder as he hugged him close.

Rocky glanced up at the ceiling to blink away the tears that appeared in his eyes. "I love you to Adonis, and I am very proud of you."

Adonis tightened his arms hugging Rocky closer.

"Thank-you Uncle Rock"

Rocky smiled, and tightened his own hold on the young fighter, "Anything for my favorite nephew."

* * *

This was a scene that I wished was in the movie, hoped you liked! Please review!


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